Main Menu

YouTube Videos Titles and Descriptions Can Now Be Translated

Two years ago, YouTube introduced a system that allows content creators to crowdsource translated subtitles from the YouTube user base. Fast forward to 2017, YouTube is expanding its translation tools to cover the video titles and descriptions as well.

Available immediately, YouTube has introduced an update to its "Community Contributions" feature that would allow content creators to open up their videos for translations. From there, the YouTube community can then proceed to translate the video’s titles and descriptions.

Once the translations are done, the content creator will be given the chance to look at the translation. Assuming that everything is in order, the content creator can then proceed to publish the translations. For more information as to how this all works, YouTube has published a series of tutorials at its Creator Academy site.

It was always a bit surprising to me that YouTube never did enable translations for titles and description when they first enabled crowdsourced translations for subtitles. With the feature now available, it will probably prove to be mutually beneficial for all parties involved.

For content creators, the ability to have their own content be made accessible to a wider range of audience thanks to the removal of the language barrier. Those who have no interest in being a content creator themselves can also take part in the YouTube content creation process as well by way of offering their service/help to other YouTube content creators.

Finally, making YouTube accessible to even more people will always benefit YouTube itself by way of growth. Overall, it’s a win-win situation for everyone involved with this system.